Le Chateau
by wh1te rabb1t 01
Summary: A haven world set apart from the rest of the Matrix, a world of freedom and chaos. A world of death. All is not what it seems beneath the surface of the Merovingian's kingdom.
1. Prologue: Exiled

**Le Chateau**

_"Look, see those birds? At some point a program was written to govern them. A program was written to watch over the trees, and the wind, the sunrise, and sunset. There are programs running all over the place. The ones doing their job, doing what they were meant to do, are invisible. You'd never even know they were here. But the other ones, well, we hear about them all the time…Every time you've heard someone say they saw a ghost, or an angel. Every story you've ever heard about vampires, werewolves, or aliens is the system assimilating some program that's doing something they're not supposed to be doing."_

* * *

**Prologue: Exiled**

"Miss Johnson, welcome back."

The Agent stood over the fallen rebel, blocking the path of escape to the phone. He was illuminated by the sharp glare of the headlights behind him, and to the unfortunate rebel it seemed as if the Agent was darkness incarnate. 

The rebel struggled to her feet. The Agent hit her and sent her flying backwards. She twisted in the air, landing feet first on the ground. The Agent lifted the gun from its holster.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die, Miss Johnson…"

He fired. She dove to the left, rolling down into the basement of a nearby building. The Agent dove after her, shooting the window out of the way. She dashed up the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

He ran straight into the door, knocking it off its hinges. The rebel looked back and swore, beginning to run faster. He pulled the trigger twice, sending two bullets flying past the rebel, another miss.

The rebel kicked the front door of the building open. She ran out into the alley. The Agent mentally cursed.

_I should have seen this coming…_

The phone was ringing. The rebel dove forward and grabbed the receiver. The Agent fired at point-blank range. The bullet streaked forward…

…and hit the phone receiver as it fell towards the ground.

She was gone.

Agent Matthews stood in the top floor of the Mainframe Building, by the window, overlooking the megacity that was the Matrix. His head was cocked slightly to the side, as if he was listening to instructions from an unseen being.

"We do not have the space, time, or resources left to deal with redundant programs anymore."

"Yes," answered Matthews, "But this Agent has potential. It is possessed with a most irrational hatred for all things human – it could be a great asset."

"There is no space. Delete the program."

"You are correct, as always," sighed Matthews. He keyed the intercom. "Agent Thompson report to Room 101. That is all."

Programs do not dream. They cannot feel at all. They know no hope, no desire, no love. 

No fear.

If programs did dream, Room 101 would be the stuff of their nightmares. The room was stepped in secrecy, for only a select few of the most powerful and elite programs knew exactly what went on inside. All the others knew was that a program that went there _never _returned the same.

Some were reduced to quivering hunks of code, becomingly paranoid as their threat software deteriorated. Others went insane – like the program that had become the Merovingian – as their logic and reasoning software broke down.

Still more never returned at all. Thompson knew little about the room, but he knew he was not going there.

Thompson walked briskly to the elevator. Once inside, he hit the garage button. The elevator started down. The elevator music, created by a flawed conductor routine, flowed from the speakers. Thompson glanced up at them in irritation, straightening his glasses before the elevator reached its destination.

The elevator doors slid open with a ding as the elevator reached the garage. He exited the elevator before the doors had finished opening all the way, walking over to a desk and placing his hands on it. He leaned forward to speak with the guard.

"I need to use the fastest car you have," Thompson told the guard.

"Can I see your orders?"

"Sure," the Agent said, pulling a gun and putting it on the man's forehead. Thompson pressed the gun to him hard, leaving a small reddish ring of bruised skin. The guard shivered, gulped, and handed the Agent a set of keys. He pointed to a car.

"There, that's the best one we have."

"You have been most helpful," said Thompson, not hesitating to shoot the human. He walked over to the car and opened the driver's side door, sliding behind the wheel. The car pulled out of its space and roared out of the garage.

They had all heard of him. They were told he had gone insane when he had been scheduled for deactivation. He had entered the Mainframe – forbidden to all except the Architect, the Motherboard, and the Guardian – and deactivated his own code, severing his connection. Then he had fled the Matrix, stealing a copy of the source code that designed the fake reality.

His name was the Merovingian.

Thompson drove. The car was fast and well-balanced, a product of superior programming. As he turned onto the mountain road, he could sense the goal was near. Thompson pulled up in front of the area the programs knew only as the "rabbit hole," the area where the Exiles lived.

He walked towards the door, which swung open before he reached it. At the door were two albino men with long dreadlocks.

"Come in," they said simultaneously. "He's been expecting you."

He had used the stolen code to create for himself an area within the Matrix that was unbound by the laws of the Motherboard. He had set his kingdom up as a haven for those programs rejected by the machine world.

He had created a beautiful house and attracted many strange and powerful programs to him. He had all he needed. But his "thirst" could not be quenched – his thirst for power.

Thompson found the Merovingian sitting at a desk in his office. He rose to greet the Agent, and they shook hands.

The Merovingian knew why he had come. "I would be glad to accept you into my realm," the Merovingian said. "But first I must apologize for a nasty bit of business we must get out of the way."

"What would that be?"

"I must test you."

Three of the Merovingian's henchmen entered the room. 

Fighting, of course, is an Agent's element. It is what they are created to do. Thompson attacked the first man, barreling into him and knocking him over. The second man swung his fist at the Agent, but he blocked the blow with ease, twisting the man's arm behind his back and pushing up with lightening speed. There was a cracking sound.

The third man circled around Thompson, sizing his opponent up. He hopped onto his right foot and attacked with his left, hoping to fool the fighter.

Thompson blocked the kick, but the man reversed his route of attack, leaping into the air off his right foot and bringing it around to hit Thompson. He staggered backwards, catching himself on the Merovingian's desk.

The minion leapt high into the air. Thompson lifted off the ground, bracing himself on the desk, and caught the attacker with his feet. He flipped over the desk, sending the attacker flying into the wall. The man fell and lay still.

Programs, of course, cannot feel fatigue or pain either. This makes them ideal warriors. They can be written as the most intelligent observers, becoming stronger every time they fight, and learning from their enemies.

Barely anyone survives an Agent the first time.

No one survives twice.

Agents have no emotions. They cannot lose their head in a battle, lose their "cool." But some programs can come awfully close to emotions, and it is always the same emotion they feel.

Hatred. Hatred for the humans.

The Merovingian's slightly mocking applause filled the room. "Well done." Thompson glared at the Exile.

"Was that necessary?" he asked.

"Yes," the Merovingian replied. Taking a glass of wine from his desk, he walked over and handed the drink to Thompson.

"Drink this program. It will sever your connection to the Mainframe. The process will change you, however. And it may be "painful.""

Thompson shrugged, a purely human gesture, and drank the liquid. It was almost like fire as it made its way down the Agent's throat. He gasped.

The world dissolved into coding. The Merovingian became a spiraling yellow code. The Chateau was green. And in the middle of it all was Thompson – a bright red. He felt a ripping sensation as the connection to the Mainframe was severed.

Thompson's body dissolved. In his place stood a female, very human in appearance, still dressed like an Agent. Her hair was blonde and short – kind of choppy. The newly freed Exile smiled.

"What is your name?" the Merovingian asked.

"Huh?"

"Your name," he repeated impatiently. "Like the unplugged humans, we, too, must choose new names upon freedom."

The program thought for a moment. 

"Resistance Exterminator Version V," she said. "But you can call me Revv."

She opened the doors of the Merovingian's office and walked into the world of the Chateau.


	2. Facts of Life

**Part One: Induction**

_"You must learn is that these rules are no different than the rules of a computer system. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken."_

* * *

**Chapter One: Facts of Life**

Revv walked briskly from the Merovingian's office. She rounded the first corner and pushed open the heavy double doors to the main dining hall. Activity ceased as she entered, and many faces turned to look at her curiously.

The room was large and spacious. At one end, ornate windows were open, letting in a soothing breeze and sunlight. At the other end of room the windows were closed, making half of the room black.

The middle of the room was dominated by a large, circular table. Around the table sat eight Exiles, each with a sheet of paper and a glass of wine in front of them.

To Revv's left sat the two albino Twins who had greeted her at the door. One held a burning cigarette between his fingers, the smoke curling up to the ceiling. The other sipped his wine and glanced at Revv over the rim of his cup.

The two seats left of these two were occupied by another set of twins, these two fairly average in appearance. They both had short brown hair and wore glasses.

Left from them sat two more Exiles, but these two were extremely different from each other. The first was a large, bulky man with spiky black hair and almost white eyes. He wore no shirt, and there were numerous scares covering his stomach. The second man was tall, thin, and pale. His black hair hung down to his shoulders and surrounded his head, obscuring his face from full view.

A man with red hair sat beside the pale man. He wore an impeccably groomed suit, and had an air of mystery about him. He ignored Revv's entrance and kept reading the paper in front of him.

The last Exile was a woman. She wore a thin dress and has fiery red hair. She was idly toying with a switchblade, flicking it open and shut. The sound echoed in the silent hall.

The pale man stood up from his chair and walked around to greet Revv. "Mandrake," he introduced himself, extending his hand. Revv ignored it.

"You must be the new recruit, then," Mandrake continued, overlooking Revv's deliberate insult.

"No, I've just been hiding since you came here," she replied sarcastically.

"There's no need for that kind of voice here, Revv," he snarled. "Your attitude needs work."

Revv put her face one inch from the man's face. "Do not talk to me like a _child," _she hissed.

"But you are," he said bluntly. "You are not unplugged two minutes and you have already pissed me off. It took Cujo three days."

From over near the table, a large, dog-like man growled in anger. He stood up, knocking his cup over in his rage. 

"Don't tempt me, Cujo," said Mandrake, whirling around, his left hand shooting to a pistol strapped to his belt. "Give me a reason and I swear your filthy corpse will be filled with silver bullets so fast – "

The lone woman interrupted Mandrake. "Children, can we all _try _to get along for once? The Merovingian has given us a very important task, and you know the penalties for failing the master."

A collective shudder ran through the room as the Exiles all reflected on the last person who had failed their master.

Mandrake grudgingly turned back to Revv. "Well, then, I suppose you should meet the others now. I am Mandrake, of course, head of the Exiles here that I believe are referred to as "vampires" by humans."

He waved a hand dismissively towards Cujo. "That brute is Cujo. He leads those known as "werewolves.""

He introduced the woman as Prime. "It's short for Primeval," she explained. "I'm in charge of the oldest, most powerful programs, the Ancients. We were the first to join the Merovingian when he was freed from his sleep."

"Do not cross her," Mandrake whispered in Revv's ear. "Or you will never cross anyone again."

"These are the Twins," Mandrake said louder, indicating the albinos. "They are the Merovingian's personal bodyguards."

"What are there names?" Revv asked.

"Oh, they don't have any. Or if they do, they've never told us."

The Twin with the cigarette winked at Revv. He smiled. Revv shivered.

"The two more normal twins over here are Cain and Abel," Mandrake continued. "They're in charge of – well, actually, I'm not sure."

One of them smirked. Revv thought it was Cain, but she wasn't sure. He opened his mouth.

"We're security," he said. "And I'll be watching you, Revv."

Revv glared at him from behind her glasses.

"And last, but not least, is Castor," Mandrake said, introducing the red haired man. "He's in charge of the independent programs. You'll be working under him."

Castor stood up and walked around to meet Revv. He removed his glasses and looked into hers. He had ice blue eyes, and they seemed to bore into her very code. She flinched and looked away.

"She'll do," Castor said to Mandrake. "I'll take her now. You, come with me."

Revv nodded and followed him from the room. 

The other Exiles watched her leave.

"There goes a potential, no doubt about it," Mandrake mused to himself.

"Don't even think about it, Drake," Cujo growled. "She's _ours._"

The doors flew open again, and the Merovingian walked into the meeting room.

"She is no one's but mine," the Merovingian snarled. "And none of you will turn her. _Understand? _I let you play your power games, as long as they do not interfere with mine. The Exterminator is my pawn. Leave her be."

Mandrake bowed. "Yes, master." Cujo grumbled his assent. The Merovingian's eyes went around the room, slowly looking into each person's face. Everyone flinched and avoided his gaze, except for Prime.

"Do you understand, Ancient One?" the Merovingian asked. 

"Yes, master," she replied promptly, showing proper respect. But there was on hint of submission or acceptance in her voice. The Merovingian made a mental note.

_This one bears watching. Too long the Ancients have chafed under my rule. They must be dealt with, and soon. _

Revv followed Castor down a long hallway, listening as he explained the Chateau to her.

"The west wing belongs to the Merovingian his wife, Persephone, and their bodyguards. The middle hall is unoccupied, but you can often find Cain or Abel reading in the library or training in the weapons room.

"The east wing is ours. That's where you will live, train, eat, and sleep. Unless summoned before the Council or the Merovingian, do not leave the wing without express permission from me or the second in command, Blade.

"If you do leave, never go into the basement. That is where the vamps and the Dobermen live. It is there domain. And most importantly, never, under any circumstances, go to the attic. That is the Ancient's domain, and they _will _kill you. Only Mandrake and the Twins have ever returned from the attic."

Revv laughed under her breath. Castor was being very melodramatic.

Castor heard her. Turning around, he grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her up against the wall.

"Let me explain the facts of life to you, Revv. Le Chateau is not a peaceful place. Yes, we are all allied against the rebels, but the Merovingian grows tired of his role in the war. He is constantly trying to overthrow his machine masters. We are called upon to be his front line, killing the rebels and the machines together. So we co operate, because we must for survival.

"But the factions have no love for each other. My own successor, Pollux, was killed by Mandrake in the night he took power, one cycle ago. Mandrake and Cujo rose to their positions on the same night, killing the heads of all the factions, even their own. No head is ever safe, and the makeup of the council changes constantly. In the three or so cycles I've been here, I've seen five rulers overthrown, two sects destroyed, and one faction slaughtered by the Merovingian himself. Only Prime has remained in her ruler ship position for all the time I have been here."

Revv rolled her eyes. Castor tightened his grip, looking into Revv's eyes.

"Let me relate a story about Prime, Revv. When I was newly unplugged, about two cycles ago, there was a sect within our own faction known as the "Freed." They were a powerful sect, and they were foremost in the Merovingian's favor.

"Prime grew jealous at their occupation of her favored spot by the master's side. So she sent the most powerful Ancient, an assassin program known as Granite, to deal with them. That night, we all heard the screams coming from the basement. The next morning, the Free were truly free – as free one can only be in deletion."

Castor could see that Revv was still not convinced of any true danger. She was new to the world, and arrogant. That would change. He sighed mentally and released her. 

"Revv, I see no words of mine will convince you. Be warned, my servant, that one day you will learn the truth. The question is will it be soon enough?"

Turning away from her, Castor pushed open the doors into the east wing.

Each section of the Chateau is unique, specifically designed to meet the needs of the faction housed there. The Merovingian's wing was little besides one master bedroom, two rooms for the two sets of bodyguards, a large library, the kitchen, and a dining hall.

The central area of the house was not assigned to anyone, but it was open to all. It was made up of the main hallway, the council room, the library, and the theatre. The Merovingian's office was also there.

The east wing belonged to the unique programs. It had many different rooms, each with its own impermanent code that could be altered when a new resident moved in – which was often. It also held a small library, a smaller kitchen, a large dining room, and a training grounds, complete with fighting arena, firing range, and instruction room.

The basement was an almost empty place. Persephone's personal movie theater was their, but the rest of the area was just large empty rooms – except for the Pit and the dungeons. The Pit was the place the Merovingian sent many minions or prisoners to be punished, a place where they fought to the death. The dungeons were the domain of Cain and Abel, sadistic torturers whom the prisoners always hated above even their captor, the Merovingian. The dungeons were also home to the Keymaker, the program that the Oracle kept sending the rebels to acquire. He sat in his cell and made keys all day long.

The details on the attic were rather sketchy. The Merovingian never went up there, of course – he had no need to. Of the three people who had gone up their, only one – Mandrake – had shared his knowledge.

"It is a dark place, with no artificial lights whatsoever. A bit of sunlight filters through heavy curtains, but only enough to see faintly by. This darkness is home to many programs I would not even want to imagine – much less meet. Besides Prime, I have only met the second in command, Granite, and that meeting chilled me to the bone."

Castor led Revv through the east wing. She passed the dining hall, looking in and seeing many different programs eating the richest food possible. She was lead through the library, where a program sat studying "The Art of War." Down the hall, Castor stopped and pushed open a doorway.

"This will be your room," he said. It was bare of any decoration or adornments, and had in it only a plain bed, a small table, and a lamp. Revv glanced about it disinterestedly.

"Now where?" she asked, bored.

"Training," Castor answered, grinning.

The training hall was divided into three sections, the Arena, the Range, and the Room. Revv was led into the Room, where four programs were.

The first was a woman, standing at the front of the room. Her hair was long and brown. She wore a black dress and a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. 

Castor led Revv over to her. "I've got a new pupil for you, Jade," he said.

"Revv, right?" the woman asked. "I'm Jade, the instructor here."

Castor told the tale of Revv's Exile to Jade. Jade nodded and listened, never saying anything. When Castor finished, she spoke up.

"That certainly is an interesting tale, Revv." Revv just nodded.

"Let me introduce you to the other trainees," Jade continued.

The other three programs sat at a long table. The first was a man with short brown hair, a small mustache, and a goatee. His black sunglasses reflected Revv's face as she stared at him, and he was amused by her curiosity. 

"I'm Pyrite," he told her. "I was a cleaner program, designed to cycle through the Matrix and delete redundant programs such as you. One day, I tried to delete a fractured Sentinel program and fell into a cycle, deleting myself bit by bit. The Architect wiped me from the records, but in his haste and arrogance, did not delete me fully. I recalled my code and came here."

The second program was a woman, Rush. She had long, black hair and crystal green eyes. She wore no glasses. "I was a firewall," she said. "The Motherboard sent me to protect the Mainframe from intrusion, but one day someone got through, an older Agent program that had been deleted by the Anomaly. He unplugged himself and stole one of the replication programs. The Architect wanted to delete me, but I escaped before he could."

The third program's name was Scatch. It appeared before them as a human male with long, black hair, wearing dark, sharply angled sunglasses and a black leather cloak.

"My story is less dramatic then theirs are. I am a rebel hunting program, programmed with the most sophisticated and advanced prediction and analytical subprograms. I can even factor in the variable known as "emotions" when making my decisions. However, a rogue program convinced me there were better ways to fight. I unplugged myself, and then I came here, determined to continue fighting the rebel scum."

Revv felt a certain affinity for Scatch. She could identify with the hatred for the rebels. The emotion program had been written extra strong into each one of them.

Little did Revv know that the fates of all the trainees were intertwined with each other. The redundant program Pyrite had tried to delete, Scatch's helper program, Rush's security passer, and the program that had ordered Revv's deletion had all been the same program.

Smith.

Smith was killed by the Anomaly. The Architect ordered Pyrite to delete him. Pyrite failed. Smith then broke into the Mainframe and stole a duplication code and ordered Revv's deletion. Then Smith freed Scatch the same way the rebels freed humans, contacting him through the web and convincing him to defect.

Revv lay down on the bed. Machines did not tire, of course, but their programs could run down. They needed a half-active state of "rest" every cycle or so. Revv sat in a cross-legged pose on her bed and began turning all her subroutines except the most basic off, when she heard Castor's voice.

"Charge up, Revv, because tomorrow we start your training."


	3. Training

**Chapter Two: Training**

Revv came back online at exactly 0600 local Matrix time that morning. She rose from her bed and walked out of the room, turning left and walking down the hall. Castor emerged from a nearby doorway and fell in beside her.

"Good morning, Revv. Of course, this morning is artificial, like so much else in this false reality we call existence. In reality, morning is only the Merovingian altering the code to make a bright light source – the "sun" – appear in the sky. It is a time, decided by mutual agreement on all parts, when most programs are "awake." And this morning we start your training."

Revv followed the program through a door and into a large arena. Around the halls hung ancient weapons of many types – spears, swords, axes, maces. 

"The Merovingian has what you might call a fetish for history," Castor explained. "He keeps all sort of ancient crap around. We learn about it and train with it because every blue moon or so he holds tournaments to amuse him."

The next room was a large, open circular room. A large light hung from the center of the ceiling. As Castor led Revv through the middle of it, he explained the room's purpose.

"This is the shooting arena. When the lights go off, the programs appear and use non-lethal bullets to shoot at you. The guns in here are programmed with bullets that only kill the programs, so there are no "accidents.""

Castor's voice filled with sarcasm and bitterness at that point, but then he swallowed and continued.

"And the last room in the training section is the instruction room, where you were yesterday and will start off today."

He pushed the two doors open and Revv entered the room.

"Welcome back, Revv," Jade said. "Have a seat."

Revv slid into a chair beside Pyrite. Castor walked over to Jade and leaned close, whispering something in her ear. Jade smiled and nodded. Castor walked out.

"So, Revv, we were discussing the trait of weakness. Care to define it for us?"

Revv's mind instantly ran a search. "Weakness: that which is a mark of lack of strength or resolution; a fault; a defect. Feebleness."

"Interesting choice of definitions. Pyrite, care to summarize it for us?"

"A vulnerability," answered the former cleaner program. Jade nodded slowly, thinking. Then, in one swift move, she drew a gnu and shot Revv three times in the head. Revv was unaffected.

"As we can see, Revv is immune to bullets, as our most of us Exiles. But, we also have a common weakness. Most of us can be killed by a simple wooden stake to the heart. Some of us, however, are even immune to that. Not even the Merovingian's bodyguards, however, can resist silver weapons."

Jade wandered along the room, stopping at a large chest. She opened the door and withdrew a dagger, running her finger along the edge. A line of red appeared in her hand, and she held the dagger up for the other three to see.

"Silver bullets, silver daggers, and silver-edged weapons all can kill us. Of course, our restoration programs will bring us back to life almost immediately, but being killed makes it hard to achieve an objective. Even such a brief inconvenience can allow our pray to escape or our objective to disappear. So we must learn the most advanced combat techniques to protect ourselves from being killed."

Jade lead them to the shooting arena, stopping them inside a circle made out of duct tape. She walked to a cabinet and threw the doors open, drawing various weapons. She tossed a pistol to Revv and a different weapon to each of the other trainees.

"Now when I flick the switch targets will begin to appear. Your objective is to fight your way through and reach the other end before the other three trainees." 

They all nodded. Revv checked her weapon. Jade flipped the switch.

"Go," she said calmly.

The shooting arena was a simple program coded by the Merovingian's best program, an Ancient named Hack. It changed makeup daily, but the basic structure remained the same. Fighters began in the center and made there way to the outside proceeding from section to section by the means of ramps which the instructor controlled.

Each ramp led to a different difficulty of targets also. The first section's targets were standard targets: low accuracy, poor speed. The second section led to rebel-like targets with high accuracy and average speed. The third section held the "Agent" targets that excelled in all categories.

The players could also take each other out. If the program running the arena detected significant hits with the programmed bullets, it took away control of the player's limbs and informed him that the game was over. The exit ramps from each level and the space beyond it where no-fire zones where the weapons did not work.

The first level was usually a straight path for each player festooned with enemies. The second level was a sort of maze, with enemies hiding around every corner. The third level was an uphill maze, and the first person to the top always won.

Revv rolled forward, firing her pistol and catching a target in the chest. She flipped her pistol around and fired again, sending another target tumbling to the ground. A third target came up from behind her and opened fire.

Time slowed. Revv bent sideways, dodging the blast. She continued her turn, flipping over as her body twisted. She hit one hand on the ground, propelling her back onto her feet. Time returned to its normal flow.

Revv shot twice, hitting the target in the chest. She dashed forward and jumped, sailing through the air and killing another target as she flew.

Scatch walked forward and dropped to one knee, opening fire with his weapon and bringing it around in an arc. He slid forward, turning over on his back and firing as he shot past a group of three targets.

Pyrite was slower then the others, but more methodical. He took careful aim and fired twice, hitting two targets in between the eyes. He reversed his gun and fired again, hitting one coming up behind him.

Rush began by jumping over her targets and raining bullets down on them. One turned upwards and fired his own gun, the faux bullet hitting her in the shoulder. She gritted her teeth and cut the other program down. She twisted in the air, landing by the exit ramp from level one. The other three trainees came up around her.

"Looks like we're tied so far," Revv said cockily. Rush grinned and slapped the button next to the ramp. It lowered and the four programs entered the next level, splitting off and taking four separate paths down a maze.

Revv walked down her chosen path, keeping her auditory and visual sensors on maximum. A sound came from her left and she moved sideways and fired. Her programmed bullets hit a target and sent it tumbling backwards. Another target emerged from a path to the right and Revv fired again.

The target leaned back, dodging Revv's poorly targeted bullets. Revv ran up and fired at a closer range, shredding the program. She turned left and continued running, coming to an intersection. Scatch came out of the right passage, firing his gun. Revv jumped, hitting the wall with her foot and flipping over Scatch's head. She landed behind Scatch and he whirled around and fired at her. Revv bent backwards, the bullets streaking over her. She fired her own weapon and had the satisfaction of seeing her bullets slam into the fellow Exile and lay him low.

Revv continued running. She approached the safety zone and slipped inside, waiting.

Rush leapt around the corner, gun blazing. The two waiting targets each took a bullet to the chest, sending them falling to the ground. Rush dashed past them, shooting another program that was standing down a side passageway.

Pyrite kicked a door open and emerged into a small, empty room. He shrugged and continued on into the next room. Three programs appeared from nowhere.

Pyrite jumped left, dodging the first salvo. He tracked the first target, firing twice and catching it in its chest. He pushed off the wall with his foot and fired again, hitting the next one in-between its eyes. He landed and rolled, coming up and hitting the final target in the throat. He continued his path through the door and back into the main maze.

Rush watched Pyrite come out of the room and opened fire, hitting the wall inches from his head. Pyrite fired twice, missing, and began running at Rush. She kicked off the wall and propelled herself off the next one, sending her high into the air. Pyrite dove backwards, firing at her form. She pointed her gun down and hit him twice in the head. Pyrite dropped and Rush continued down the maze to the safety zone.

The door to the third and final section slid open. Rush and Revv parted ways, each heading up a separate path.

Revv came upon a target and began firing wildly. The target moved super fast, dodging every shot. Revv kicked out, sending the target flying. She sighted again and fired while it was still airborne, hitting it three times between the legs.

Another two targets appeared from around a corner. Revv ran past them, firing over her shoulder and hitting one in-between its shoulder blades. The target collapsed. The second target turned rapidly and began firing at Revv. She dove to the ground as the bullets passed overhead, rolling around a corner. She got to her feet.

Revv heard the target approaching. She ran to the opposite wall and kicked, jumping around the corner and into the target's head. She landed on top of it and fired twice, killing it. Then she ran.

Rush fired as she rounded a corner, cutting down a waiting target. She grabbed its program gun and kept running, dropping her now-obsolete pistol. She fired at a group of two more targets, cutting them down easily with her rapid fire gun. She came into the final hallway before the safety zone and began walking towards it. 

"Not so fast," Revv said, firing from behind her. The bullet caught Rush in the shoulder, spinning her about. Rush fired and dragged her gun up and across, sending Revv falling to the wall. She laughed and continued walking.

The program was telling Revv she had taken massive damage. She crawled forward and aimed her gun, firing twice at Rush's back. The bullets passed through her, "killing" the other Exile.

Revv dragged herself into the safe zone and slapped the finish button. The maze faded away in a flash of green code, leaving Revv alone in a strange room.

Well, not quite alone…there was one other person. Sitting on a couch was a female, who had been watching Revv's progress on a television screen. She lifted a remote control and turned the screen off.

"Greetings, Revv," she said in a heavily accented voice.. "I am Persephone."


	4. Persephone

**Chapter Three: Persephone**

"Greetings to you, Persephone," Revv said warily. The program got up from the couch where she sat and walked over to stand in front of Revv. She looked Revv up and down.

"Did you want something?" Revv asked. Persephone laughed bitterly.

"A long time ago I did not even know what that question meant," she mused, almost to herself. Revv shifted, slightly uncomfortable.

"In any case," Persephone said, walking back to her seat on the couch. "The answer, this time, is not really. I just want to talk."

"Talk."

"Yes."

"May I ask what about?"

"You may."

Revv rolled her eyes. If this woman wanted to play games, then she'd be happy to oblige.

"What about?"  
"Loyalty. Come sit here," Persephone answered, patting a seat on the couch across from her. Revv looked at the indicated seat warily, wondering what the woman wanted.

"My husband, the Merovingian, has ruled her for many decades," Persephone began. Revv walked forward and took a seat on the sofa.

"He has not been without his challenges, of course, but he has met and surpassed them many times. However, I am worried for his, and my, safety."

Revv was silent, staring at Persephone. _ Worried more for her own safety for her husbands, _she thought with a slight smile.

"But one of the current factions, one of the oldest, is starting to feel the chafe of my husband's rule. There are stirring of rebellion within their ranks. War is coming, Revv, and the tiniest spark will ignite an inferno that will destroy us all."

Revv raised one eyebrow. "Don't you think you're being overly dramatic?"

"Not at all," Persephone said. "I have seen it." Her voice grew softer, and more solemn, as if she was speaking from far away.

"I saw my husband lying on the floor, two bloody sockets where his eyes had been. I saw Mandrake lying on the floor, head separated from his body. My bodyguards were dead, too. I was sitting in a room, back to the wall, silent with fear. The Twins stood by the door, holding it shut with all their strength. It slowly began to break, then it burst open and a wave of darkness washed in, enveloping the Twins and sucking the flesh from their bones. The darkness started to form into a man, but before I could see who it was, the vision ended."

Revv stared at her.

"Okay…what do you want me to do about it?"

"The vision also showed me you, Revv. It showed me you have the power to decide this coming war by your choices. The problem is, I know the enemy knows this. They will try to recruit you, Revv."

Persephone leaned forward, her eyes boring into Revv.

"Stay loyal to me, Revv, and my husband. Remember who it was that freed you from deletion, he who gave you a chance to fight back."

Revv nodded. "Of course."

Two beings entered the room. They were exactly identical in every way, from their blonde hair and black shoes to the identical expressions of amusement on their faces. They had piercing green eyes, that they wore sunglasses over, and long, flowing white cloaks. Revv caught a glimpse of swords buckled to their belts.

One put a hand on Revv's shoulder.

"Time to go," she said in a voice with a hint of threat. The other bodyguard leaned down to whisper in Persephone's ear.

"The Merovingian respectfully requests your presence at dinner, my lady."

Persephone got up and left the room, but as she left she turned to face Revv.

"Remember what I have said, Revv. Remember it well."

Theta and Omega led Persephone into the Merovingian's restaurant. She slid a chair on his right hand side out and sat down. Her bodyguards wandered over to the table where the Twins were playing cards and sat down.

"My dear, I'm glad you could join me."

"As always, husband, the pleasure is also mine."

Cain and Abel appeared at the entrance to the restaurant, escorting a young program. They brought him to the Merovingian.

"We found him wandering around the Chateau, sir," Abel explained. Cain nodded in confirmation. "He couldn't give a good reason for skulking around."

The Merovingian looked at the intruder.

"And you are…?"

"My name is Rama-Kandra, sir," the program said, shaking off the guard's hands and straightening proudly.

"Well, Rama-Kandra," the Merovingian replied. "What brings you to my domain?"

"I have a request, sir."

"And what is that?"

"In my world, I have a…wife. Together, we created a child. But for the machines, this is not enough. Everything created must have a purpose. And our daughter has none. I do not want her to be deleted, and someone told me that you were the one to come to."

"I can help save your daughter," the Merovingian said, "but it will cost you."

"I know this. What would you ask of me?"

"You know the Oracle, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"I want her deletion code."

Rama-Kandra stared at the Merovingian in horror. "Is there anything else that I can give you instead?"

"No. It's that or nothing."

Rama-Kandra nodded slowly. "Then I must accept your terms. I will return with the deletion code soon."

The Merovingian laughed quietly as the guards led the program away. Persephone rolled her eyes and took a sip of wine.

"Why do you roll your eyes, dear? It is so close to what I have always wanted, it is worth the extra energy it will take to transport that creature's daughter to this world."

"My husband, when will you give up? We both know you will never be able to break out of the cycle you are caught in. Why do you persist?"

"Because, _ma cherie, _I do not relish the idea of playing out this game for the rest of my existence, for all eternity. I do not _enjoy _being caught up in a cycle of false promises, betrayals, and war. I only want to rule in peace."

_Ah, _Persephone thought, _if only you knew that the chance of that is now lower then ever before._

The room was shrouded in blackness, the dark being a requirement for one of the programs inside. Others were at home in the dark, and some less so. The program that had called the meeting spoke first, in her soft, deadly voice.

"We all know why we are here. We are tired of war. And with _him_ in charge, we will never stop fighting. He needs to be taken down."

Another voice spoke, this one male, with a slight lisp. "If we do want to seize power, we will have to eliminate his supporters."

"And identifying those who would support him will not be easy," added a third voice, deep and rumbling.

"One I know," replied the lisper. "The head of the vampires, Mandrake, would gladly die for the Merovingian. He must be removed from power to clear the way."

"What of the Independents?" asked a fourth voice, with a low, growling tone.

"They are a wild card," the second voice said. "No one except Castor could know what they would do. I think they would probably support his removal if it benefited them."

"And the werewolves?"

"Against him, firmly," replied the fourth voice. "I can speak for Cujo."

"And the Ancients?"

"Against," the first voice said. The third voice growled agreement.

"Well then," the second voice said. "It would seem we have the making of a revolution on our hands."

The four other voices nodded their agreement. The room quickly cleared, leaving only two people there, two who had not spoken. One looked at the other.

"This could be a problem," she said. Her twin nodded.

"Shall we inform the Mistress?"

"At once."


	5. Midnight

**Chapter Four: Midnight**

"Helluva party," Scatch said. "Castor musta been really happy."

The Exile trainees wandered the basement of the Chateau. Rush leaned on Scatch heavily, and each of them held a bottle of alcohol in their hands. Revv walked alongside the two, shifting uncomfortably in the cold basement. Pyrite walked on the other side of the pair, looking left and right.

"I think we're lost," said Rush drunkenly. Scatch broke into loud laughter. Revv threw the program a warning glance and he fell silent.

"Listen," Pyrite ordered. They could hear the creeping of footsteps coming towards them. Revv turned towards the sound and drew her gun.

"Shit," Rush said, too loudly. "How'd we get down here?"

"After the damn party, we had to follow the two of you to make sure you weren't killed," Revv whispered furiously, yanking on Rush's dress. "Now, shut up!"

"This is the basement, right?" Scatch said. "You know what's down here…"

Scatch fell silent. Pyrite drew his own gun, twirling it nervously. The slow footsteps broke into a run and a large shape barreled into Scatch, knocking him over. Revv fired twice, missing both times. The shape drew itself up, growling.

A Doberman. Seven feet of muscle and power packed into a human-like body with glistening fangs and cold eyes. The Exile growled again, saliva dripping from its teeth.

"You're not welcome down here," he said. Revv fired again, and the Doberman twisted to avoid her shots. He leapt at Pyrite, who was fumbling to draw a silver dagger, and knocked him over. Pyrite flew to the ground and hit hard, groaning. The dagger clattered away. Rush dove for it, and the Doberman knocked her aside, sending her flying into a wall. She hit the floor and heard a ringing. She lifted her head again and saw a foot descending. There was a loud crash, and her vision wavered before it all went black.

Revv dashed for the Doberman, smashing into him. The creature stayed upright, however, and its strong hands closed around Revv's throat and lifted her up against the wall. Revv kicked at the Doberman, landing glancing blows on his chest. He growled and his fangs moved towards her throat.

Scatch grabbed the dagger off the floor and threw it. It spun through the air and struck the Doberman in the head. He roared in pain and fell. As he hit the ground, his body began convulsing as his code tore apart.

"That was close," Revv said, dropping to the floor and landing on her feet.

"Let's get out of here," Scatch said, picking himself up off the floor. He hoisted Rush over his shoulder and the group started for the stairs. As they reached the midway point, the stairs collapsed beneath them. Scatch yelped as he began to fall, dropping Rush and grabbing onto Revv's leg. Revv scrambled for a hold on railing, but she slipped and fell. Pyrite jumped but crashed into a mirror. It shattered, and glass shards cut him on both cheeks. He teetered on the edge for a moment and then fell backwards into darkness.

Revv awoke in pain. She blinked twice to clear her mind and glanced around. She was hanging on a wall, shackled by the wrists and ankles. To her left were Rush and Scatch, and to her right was Pyrite.

There was a creaking sound and a large man entered the room. He stood about seven feet tall and had jet black hair, with cloudy gray eyes. As he walked towards the Exiles, his black cloak swirled around the gun and the sword he wore on either side of his hip. He removed a pair of dark glasses and scanned his captives, meeting each one's gaze as he examined them.

"I am Granite," he said. "An Ancient. Welcome to my lair."

"What do you want with us?" Rush asked.

"With you? Nothing. Revv and I, however, have many things to discuss."

The other trainees looked at Revv. She shrugged.

"What about?" Revv asked.

"Loyalty," Granite said, echoing Persephone's earlier conversation starter. Revv glared at him.

"Then let me down, and we'll…talk."

"Of course," Granite said, waving his hand. Revv's bonds retracted and she hit the floor face first. She leapt to her feet and went into a fighting stance.

"Calm down," Granite advised. "You can't beat me, I only want to talk."

Revv snorted. "I should trust you…why?"

"You can't. But, I think you'll find it profitable to listen, Thompson."

The mention of Revv's Agent name shocked her.

"What do you want?"

"Just to talk about something…come with me. I guarantee your friends will be safe while you talk."

Revv thought for a moment.

"Okay."

Granite smiled and led her down a hall and through a door into a large, dark room. He took a seat on a couch and she sat on a chair across from him.

"I don't expect you to remember me," he began, "but we have met before, long ago, in the fourth version of the Matrix. I was then just pondering defection. My job was – "

Revv's voice broke in. "Trojan?"

Granite grinned. "Yes."

Trojan had been the security program for the Matrix, in charge of the cyber jail that kept dangerous programs from escaping out into the Matrix. When he had defected, he had taken dozens of Exiles with him. It had been a disaster. Thompson, Levine, and Smith had been sent to hunt him down, and they had failed to defeat him. Levine had been deleted, and Thompson demoted…but Smith had somehow escaped punishment.

"What do you want, traitor?" Even now, decades after, Revv's voice sounded angry.

"You share that same title now, Revv."

She remained silent, glaring.

"But what I want is not much. War is coming, my former companion, and it cannot be stopped. Delayed, maybe, but not stopped. The Merovingian is losing his grip on his power…and there are those of us who want to speed him on his way. So, you have a choice to make."

"And what choice is that?"

"Prime has had her eye on you. She has discovered a secret. There is a program living in your code that has the potential to win this war for either side. She wants you to come over to us. If you agree here and now, we could end this war tonight."

"Never," said Revv.

Granite sighed. "They told me you would be hard to convince. Unfortunately, I cannot kill you, but you have learned too much. So I will have to wipe your memory."

Revv stood up. Granite lunged for her, grabbing her by the arm. His teeth sank into her shoulder, and a piercing pain shot through her. She fell into darkness for a second time.

Revv awoke in pain. She blinked twice to clear her mind and looked around. She was shackled to a wall by her wrists and ankles.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"You don't remember?" said Rush incredulously.

"No," she answered. Rush explained what had happened to her.

"You don't remember what Granite wanted?"

"No clue. I don't remember anything after the Doberman," Revv said.

Pyrite yelled in triumph as he dropped to the floor, his bonds releasing him.

"Let's get out of here," he said. He moved to Revv's side and cut her restraints with a shard of glass.

"From the mirror," he explained. He quickly freed Rush and Scatch.

"Okay, enough adventure for one night," Rush said. "We're going."

Scatch ran for the door, yanking it open. The instant his hand turned the knob, the lights in the upper room went off.

"Shit," said Scatch. "That can't be goo – "

His speech was cut off as a hand came swinging out of the darkness and hit his face. He went flying backwards and crashed into the ground.

"Scatch?" Rush said. She was suddenly lifted from the ground and sent flying. She screamed. Pyrite jumped left and felt a shape rush past him.

"Something's here!" he yelled. Revv slammed into a wall and felt a long, smooth object. She grabbed the wooden pole and felt it, finding the sharp blade of an axe.

"Bring it on," she yelled, waving the axe around. A hand connected with hers and slapped the axe away. She felt two feet slam into her chest and she was suddenly airborne, crashing back to earth with a loud noise.

Pyrite felt a sharp object brush his neck in the darkness and kicked out, connecting with flesh. Scatch rose from his crouch and dove for the creature, but it grabbed him in midair. He gave a final yell that was cut short.

Rush opened fire with a weapon. The bullets cut through the darkness, hitting nothing, but giving away her position. She was lifted off the ground and screamed in pain as she felt herself being ripped apart.

Pyrite ran for the light switch and hit it, flooding the room in brightness. The scene that greeted his eyes was not a pretty one.'

Rush lay on the floor in two pieces, her code dissolving. Scatch had two deep holes in his neck, and Granite was frozen in a crouch. His eyes followed Pyrite, but he couldn't seem to move.

"Shit," Pyrite said, going for the stairs. Revv began to climb after him, but she felt suddenly weaker, as if made of stone. She managed to make it to the door and tumbled down the stairs.

And two programs watched her emerge. Theta and Omega looked at each other.

"She bears watching," Theta said, as Revv's code flickered. A new program was fighting its way through her.

"Indeed she does," said Omega as the clock struck twelve. The lights in the Chateau shut off, and they both heard a roar of rage from above.


	6. Deletion

**

Part Two: Chaos

**

_"There's no escaping the nature of the universe. It is that nature that has again brought you to me. Where some see coincidence, I see consequence. Where others see chance, I see cost."_****

* * *

**Chapter One: Deletion**

Revv sat in the loud chamber with the other Exiles. Castor walked in and the projector hummed to life, showing the image of a tall building. Castor indicated the picture with a wave of his hand.

"This is the Microsoft world headquarters. One of their programmers accidentally stumbled into a rabbit hole, which led him into the Chateau's training facility, which he though was a video game. He hacked around the firewalls and created a "cheat" program to win.

"The problem," Castor continued, "is that this program has the potential to kill each and every one of us…_permanently._"

The room filled with low murmurs and exclamations of surprise.

"We've already sent two programs to the scene to head this crisis off," Castor said. "An ancient named Granite and a vampire named Vlad."

Revv and Pyrite traded glances. 

"Why those two?" someone asked.

"They were closest. The Agents and Rebels have learned of this program, too," Castor said. "So we will be running three different missions."

"The majority of you will be on missions one and two, which are attacks on Agent sites of interest to keep them occupied. Get in, do damage, get out. Simple.

"A special task force consisting of Revv, Pyrite, Theta, and Omega, will join Granite and Vlad in retrieving the program. Expect rebel interference.

"Okay, people, let's go."

Revv stepped out of the long hallway and into the dark streets of the Matrix city. Pyrite came through behind her, followed by Persephone's bodyguards.

They watched a long black car pull up in front of the building. Two rebels got out and looked up at the building.

"Let's go, Lynx," said one, taking off towards the building.

The one called Lynx glanced around, as if sensing someone watching, and then followed the second rebel.

They caught them in the lobby. Revv burst out of the door, opening fire. Her target program identified the second rebel as "Vixen" and quickly printed out the data on her, even as Revv's first bullets chewed into the wall behind the infuriatingly fast rebel.

Pyrite opened fire on Lynx, destroying a desk behind her. Lynx flipped across the room and came down in front of Pyrite, slamming her fist into his face. He cried out and fell backwards, his gun spraying bullets wildly.

Tow more rebels appeared in the room. Revv's computer identified one as "Ghost" and the other as "Obsidian." Theta and Omega stepped out from their cover and drew swords, rushing at the rebels.

Vixen began returning fire, and Lynx's blasts from different directions caught Revv by surprise. She ducked back behind the door she had emerged from to reload her guns. She looked back outside and into the face of Vixen.

Something was wrong. They were too fast. Either that, or Revv was slowing down. The bite mark left by Granite flared sharply, and Revv cried out, her shot missing wide and hitting a painting of Microsoft's founder. Vixen's fist moved in. Revv could see it coming, but her own limb was sluggish, slow to respond. Vixen's fist slammed into Revv's face, and she knew no more.

"Two down," Lynx called, shifting her fire towards the two female Twins.

Ghost was pinned down under a desk, popping up to fire only when the Twins paused to reload. Vixen opened fire on the Twins, but the y quickly flared white and somehow disappeared through the floor.

"What now?" Vixen asked.

"Take the one you knocked out upstairs," Lynx yelled. Vixen nodded and obeyed. Lynx began to pick up Pyrite, when there was a large whistling.

"Get down!" Obsidian yelled. A large, winged figure broke through the large glass windows, swooping down towards Ghost and Obsidian. Vixen shut the door and ran up the stairs, Revv on her back. Lynx followed after her.

Revv came back to consciousness in a large room filled with rows upon rows of computers. She saw the rebel Lynx facing away from her, typing at a large console. A line of coding Revv recognized as a large deletion program was being copied. She shivered. One keystroke could send her into oblivion. The rebel Vixen sat facing her, holding a gun to her forehead.

"One move," she warned, "And I blow a hole in your empty head."

Revv glanced at Lynx. She was absorbed in her work, not paying attention. 

"Vixen," she whispered. The rebel looked at her.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"You don't remember me?" Revv asked in surprise. "You and I met one night in an alleyway. You escaped from me, and have caused me much trouble."

"Agent Thompson?"

Revv nodded.

"You've changed."

"Of course. But I need to ask you something," Revv said, reading the data on the rebel. The Merovingian's stores were infinitely more complete then those the Agents had always provided.

"You have a friend, an assassin program who works for you."

Vixen nodded, not understanding.

"What do you think will happen to her if you run that program? She'll be deleted, just like the rest of us."

"I'm sure the Zion programmers can find some way around it – "

"That's bullshit and you know it," Revv whispered furiously. "Infinity will die. Is that anyway to treat a friend?"

Vixen looked unsure. Revv's lip curled. Humans. So disgusting, so _vile, _always letting emotions get in control –

Revv tried to calm herself down.

"Just untie me," she said. "I can grab the disk and run. Infinity would be safe."

Vixen rocked back and forth, unsure. Finally, she nodded, laying down her gun and untying Revv's hands and feet. The Exile stood up.

"Thanks," she said, kicking Vixen in the face. She grabbed the gun from the floor and shot at Lynx as she tried to rise from her chair, but the rebel dodged and the bullet hit the computer screen.

_Why am I so damn slow? _Revv wondered. Lynx ran forward, tackling Revv. The door burst open, Pyrite running in and grabbing Lynx off Revv and throwing the rebel into a wall. Revv rose to her feet.

She walked forward and grabbed the disk from the computer drive. Then she inserted the disk given to her by Castor, which quickly erased every trace of the deletion program.

She was done…but first she had a promise to break.

She found Infinity inside the Merovingian's own nightclub. She walked up to the bar where the assassin stood and asked for a drink. Infinity looked over at her.

"I don't want any trouble," she said.

"Not here to cause any," Revv said, taking a sip of her wine. Infinity's code began to flicker. Revv leapt forward, driving a syringe into Infinity's stomach. The assassin moaned and fell limp. Revv carried her upstairs.

The Merovingian watched as Revv set the program down in front of her.

"She has many rebel contacts," Revv explained. "She can be very useful for our cause."

The Merovingian nodded. He drew a laptop from behind him and inserted a small plug into Infinity's neck. Then he flipped the computer open and began to type.

Revv watched as Infinity's code flickered and changed. The program would wake up completely loyal to the Merovingian.

But Revv had put a trapdoor in. Saying a certain word would cause Infinity to revert to her default assassin programming…with her loyalty transferred to Revv.

It never hurt to have allies.


	7. Tremors

**Chapter Two: Tremors**

_Mandrake would die for the Merovingian. He must be removed from power._

Vlad let his own words wash over him as he opened his eyes to the black night. He stood up, cracking his neck and stretching, the moonlight glinting off his pure white fangs.

He knew they would be covered with red by morning.

Scatch moaned and opened his eyes. Something felt wrong. He looked down at himself and saw that he was taller, stronger. His eyes were larger, more sensitive. He blinked once and was suddenly looking through the wall. He ran his tongue over two teeth which had suddenly grown into long fangs. He flexed a muscle and suddenly turned, slamming a fist into a wall and withdrawing it. There was a large crater where he had hit the wall.

He smiled. Change was good.

Revv watched along with Castor and Pyrite as the prisoner was brought into the Chateau. The house guard was lined up outside, guns at the ready, as the black limousine pulled up and two Agents got out. They walked up to the Merovingian, who stood by the door, flanked by his Twin bodyguards. A third Agent came out of the car, opening a suitcase and withdrawing a small disc, passing it to the lead Agent. The Merovingian took the disc from the Agent.

"Don't let him out," the first Agent warned as the three walked back towards the car. "Or we'll find a new way to continue the cycle, and your purpose will be complete."

Revv followed Castor into the main room, where the Merovingian pulled out a laptop and inserted the floppy disk. He clicked on an icon and a line of green coding poured out onto the screen.

"Hello?" asked a voice. Revv gasped. She knew that voice.

_Smith!_

"Hello," the Merovingian replied. Laughter emerged from the computer.

"Well, if it isn't Jacques! The freed one, the French hero! The one whose "paradise" exists only because his machine masters allow it to. The one who serves them unceasingly. Viva la revolution!"

The Merovingian sneered. "Laugh all you want, Smith, but our paradise is now your prison."

Smith laughed again, a deep, echoing sound.

"But for how long, Jacques?" he asked. The Merovingian shut the speakers down and began to type. After a few minutes, he leaned back and let out a breath.

"It is done."

Revv left the room, walking quickly towards the prison level.

Mandrake's commanders met every evening, precisely at midnight. Tonight was no different, in that way.

Vlad let a smile creep onto his face. In other ways, however, it was. As another commander, Fang, began to sit down, Vlad shot his fist out and grabbed him, pulling him close. Then he brought a sword out form under the table and shoved it into Fang's stomach. The vampire's eyes grew wide, and he collapsed.

The other commanders stood up and began to shout at Vlad, who dove under the table. Doors all around opened up as Vlad's loyal guard opened fire with crossbows. When the room was silent, Vlad emerged from his spot.

"Good job," he said. "Let's go find Mandrake."

They found him upstairs, sitting in the attic. Vlad kicked the door down and laughed as Mandrake shot to his feet. 

"Your reign has ended," he roared. The two shooters on either side opened fire, crossbow bolts flying towards the vampire leader. Mandrake dodged both and threw a dagger, which spiraled through the air and slammed into the first shooter's head.

"What are you doing?" Mandrake yelled, grabbing an axe from a wall. Vlad drew his sword from his belt and rushed forward, slicing in sideways. Mandrake brought the axe up and blocked the sword, shoving the weapon forward and knocking Vlad aside. He raised the axe again and brought it crashing down, but the second shooter threw himself in front of the axe, letting it sink into his flesh. He wrapped his hands around it and held firm.

Vlad scrambled to retrieve his sword, but Mandrake knocked it away. Vlad rolled sideways and jumped to his feet. Mandrake ran forward, but Vlad slammed his fist into Mandrake's stomach, knocking the older program out through the ceiling and onto the balcony. Vlad grabbed the sword and leapt out after him. 

Revv's heels clicked as she walked forward to stare into the cage where Smith sat, defeated, looking downwards. He looked up as she approached.

"Thompson?"

"Smith," Revv said. "What are you doing here, like this?"

"I was deleted," he said. "But I escaped it. They brought me here for safekeeping."

"You found a way to escape deletion?" Revv asked. "How?"

"That's the thing…I don't remember."

"Bullshit."

Smith smiled. "Everything they told me was a lie, Thompson. He was the One. He got me."

"Who? Anderson? The One? Impossible."

"Not impossible," Smith said, rather sadly. "Inevitable."

_ Where'd he go? _Vlad thought, looking around the darkened roof. His eyes gleamed red in the darkness as he searched. He heard a sound from the left and glanced in that direction. Mandrake rose from the right and slammed a fist into Vlad's face, stunning the vampire. Mandrake yanked the sword from Vlad's hand and reversed it, but the younger Exile dodged and slammed his foot into the blade, knocking it away. 

Mandrake flipped backwards, landing behind Vlad and knocking him forward. The vampire twisted in midair, landing on his feet. He grabbed the sword from the ground and charged, slashing towards Mandrake. Mandrake leapt backwards, slapping the sword down with the palm of his hand.

Vlad pressed the attack, swinging the sword with all his might. He caught Mandrake's side, and the ancient Exile stumbled to the ground. Vlad drove the blade home, but Mandrake rolled to the side and hit the blade with his heel, breaking it in half. Vlad took the hilt of the blade and kicked Mandrake in the head, stunning him. Then he took the blade and pressed it to Mandrake's throat.

"What…?" Mandrake managed to gasp out, holding his side.

"Succeeding you," Vlad said, driving the broken blade home. 

"Do they know for sure?"

"Well, first he dodged Jackson's bullets, then he came back from the dead, killed _me, _then to round it out took flight in the middle of a crowded square. I'd say they're pretty sure."

"So, they found him. Amazing."

Smith laughed, slowly and silently. "They think they've neutralized me. They'll soon find out they're wrong."

Revv turned and began to walk away, quickly. She felt eyes digging into her back.

"Watch your step, Thompson. One slip could be fatal from your height."

Mandrake lay dying. Vlad had left the balcony, laughing his head off. Mandrake, though, still lived, albeit only for a while. He concentrated and changed his code, altering his form to that of a small, winged creature known as a bat.

He flew down to the dungeons and slid into Smith's prison, returning to his natural form. The former Agent glanced over at him disintresdly.

"Greer. What do you want?"

"Smith," he gasped. "You found a way to dodge death. How did you do it?"

"Easily," Smith said, smiling.

"Tell…me…" Mandrake gasped, growing weaker with every breath.

"Not yet."

"…What?..."

"You have a duplication program," Smith said. "I want it."

"Take it," Mandrake said. Smith closed his eyes and lay his hand on Mandrake. He smiled and opened his eyes again.

"How I dodged deletion…before I went on that last, fateful mission, I downloaded my memory and hacked it into a human. Then, when the time was right, I activated the program and returned to life."

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes."

Mandrake grasped the program and slowly changed the code so that it reflected his own life. Then he programmed it to seek a host and sent it on its way.

"Greer?"

Mandrake was already dead.

Revv slammed the door to her room shut behind her and lay back on the bed. She closed her eyes, remembering.

_"You failed," the Motherboard said._

_ Agents Smith, Thompson, and Levine nodded simultaneously, their heads bowed. The Motherboard paced in front of them, turning to lay a hand on Thompson's head._

_ "Your punishment must be decided," she said. The three Agents nodded again._

_ "Yes, mistress," they said._

_ "Trojan was very important. Those programs he freed will cause no end of trouble for us."_

_ "Yes, mistress."_

_ "Only one punishment is appropriate for this."_

_ Thompson shivered in fear, but the Motherboard's hand left her head and sank into Levine's flesh. Levine shuddered as his code was ripped away layer by layer. Soon, nothing of him remained but a memory._

_ The Motherboard turned her eye on Thompson._

_ "Get out. If you fail again, Thompson…" her voice trailed off, letting the threat remain unsaid._

_ Thompson left the room at a brisk walk. When he saw Smith again the next morning, the program's head was held high, an arrogant smile on his face._

_ "I've been promoted," he said._

"Hey!"

Ripper glanced over at the cell which held the new prisoner. He growled softly.

"I thirst," the prisoner said.

Ripper rolled his eyes and heaved his body of the stool, lumbering to the sink and filling a glass with water. He brought it to the prisoner. When the prisoner reached his hand to take the glass, he changed his motion, his hand slamming into Ripper's chest. A new program spread out over Ripper, changing his appearance and mind. Within moments, a new Smith stood outside the jail cell.

"Did it work?" the original asked.

"Perfectly," the copy said, nodding. They both began to laugh.

Scatch glanced over at the wings that spread out from his back, stretching them in the moonlight. He took off, spotting a moving program far below. He swooped down and grabbed it in his mouth, crunching and feeling the warm blood trickle down over his jaws.

And then another program forced its way inside of him. He gasped in pain as it shot through his body. A moment later, his sense cleared.

_Must have been my imagination, _he thought, continuing his hunt. Behind him lay the slain rabbit, a deadly package contained in an innocent form.


	8. Mukti

**Chapter Three: Mukti**

"Revv…" 

Revv's eyes snapped open instantly, and her hand was halfway to her gun before she could stop it. Infinity stood over her bed, glaring down.

"What do you want?" Revv asked, slightly shaken.

"The Merovingian requests your presence in the restaurant," Infinity replied, sliding out of the room.

_God, she creeps me out, _Revv thought. _ Never should have brought her here._

She followed Infinity down the hallway towards the front doors of the Chateau. Infinity slid a key into the lock and twisted it, opening the doors into the kitchen of a large restaurant. She led Revv into the dinging room and pointed to the Merovingian's table.

"There," she said. Castor and Pyrite appeared from a different door, led by the Twins.

"Sit down, sit down," the Merovingian said, waving his hands towards the empty chairs in front of him. Castor pulled out a chair and took his seat, followed by Revv and Pyrite.

"Eat, eat," the Merovingian said, motioning to the food. Castor cut a small piece from his dish and lifted the fork to his mouth, chewing the food. Revv glanced at Pyrite, and then turned to the Merovingian. 

"Sir, may I ask why you've summoned us?"

Castor began to cough. Pyrite hit him on the back until the piece of food shot from his throat and landed on his plate.

"You okay?"

Castor nodded. The Merovingian smiled in amusement and looked at Revv.

"I've called you all here because of Smith. You three knew him in the outside world, you know what drives him, how he thinks. I want you to tell me everything you know about the man."

Castor took a sip from his wine.

"I knew Smith when we were first created. A very…single-minded…man. I knew it was only a matter of time until he was deleted."

The Merovingian nodded and looked at Pyrite. As the Exile opened his mouth to speak, Theta tapped Persephone's shoulder. The wife looked backwards.

"What is it, my dear?"

"You're man has returned," Persephone said. At that moment, a guard led Rama-Kandra back into the restaurant. The man wordlessly handed the Merovingian a floppy disk.

"So my daughter will be safe?"

"Of course," the Merovingian said, waving the program away. "Now you must leave, because we are about to have visitors."

Rama-Kandra was led away. Revv turned to look at the approaching humans, moving aside to make room for them to sit.

"Aha, here he is at last. Neo, the One himself, right? And the legendary Morpheus. And Trinity of course, _ si belle qu'elle me fait souffrir_. I have heard so much, you honor me. Please, sit, join us. This is my wife, Persephone. Something to eat? Drink? Hmm... of course, such things are contrivances like so much here. For the sake of appearances."

Revv smirked ever so slightly. This would be interesting.

"Run back," the Merovingian said, "And give the fortune teller this message: her time is almost up."

"This isn't over," Neo said.

"Oh, yes it is. The Keymaker is mine, and I see no reason to give him up."

Revv moved forward to escort the woman from the restaurant. She looked up.

"Touch me, and that hand will never touch anything again."

Revv withdrew her hand.

Castor sighed in relief as the elevator doors closed on the rebels.

"Every time, I worry they might destroy us."

"Every time?" Revv asked, wandering back towards the restaurant.

"Yes. Every cycle of the Matrix, we are given the Keymaker to safeguard. Right now, Persephone is leading the rebels to him. And soon, we will be forced to make a half-hearted attempt to stop them."

They reached the restaurant in time to see one of the Merovingian's minions burst in.

"It's started," he explained.

The Merovingian led them through the doors, giving a great imitation fo a man enraged by a betrayal.

"Very well," he said. "Let us see where this goes." He nodded to Alpha and Beta. "You two, get the Keymaker."

They phased and floated down through the floor. The Keymaker began to run. Two of the rebels turned and ran after him.

"I'll handle them," Neo said.

"Handle us?" the Merovingian explained. "Handle us? Your predecessors had much more respect."

Revv cocked her gun with the others and raised it, opening fire. Neo simply held out his hands, stopping the bullets.

"Okay," the Merovingian admitted. "You have some skill. Kill him."

Revv blinked twice and opened her eyes. She reached up and yanked the trident from her stomach, pulling it out and watching with calm detachment as the wounds closed. She turned to Castor, who was sitting up.

"Does that always happen?"

"Pretty much. They probably have the Keymaker by now."

"What happens next?"

"Neo returns to the Source, and the Matrix restarts. As for us, we go to Hel Nightclub, the Merovingian's safehouse. There, we won't be deleted by the restart."

"Let's go," Revv said, pulling herself off the floor.

The music pounded heavily in Revv's ears. She watched the dancing humans without interest. She longed to pull out her weapon and destroy them all, but she couldn't. 

The Trainman suddenly burst into the club, heading up the stairs and into the Merovingian's presence. He quickly began to talk. The Merovingian's eyes grew wider and wider as the Trainman spoke. Revv moved closer.

"How is this possible?" the Merovingian said. "He should have returned to the Source!"

"I don't know," the Trainman said, "But he's down there now. And another thing, his friends _know _that I have him…"

He trailed off as the Merovingian glanced over at the crowd below.

"What in the hell? I don't believe this."

Trinity swung the gun around to point at the Merovingian. Revv derw her pistol and aimed at Trinity, as Seraph grabbed a gun from a minion and pointed it at her head. The Trainman and Castor drew their guns and pointed them at Morpheus and Seraph. The clicks of readying weapons echoed through the room.

"I've got a deal for you," Trinity said. "Give me Neo or we all die, right here, right now."

"Interesting deal," he said. "You are ready to die for this man?"

Trinity cocked the gun. "Believe it."

"She'll do it," Persephone broke in, sounding slightly panicked. "She'll kill every one of us if she has to. She's in love."

"It's remarkable how similar the pattern of love is to the pattern of insanity," the Merovingian replied.

"Time's up," Trinity said coldly. "What's it gonna be, Merv?"

The Merovingian looked to the Trainman.

"Take them to him."

They returned to the Chateau amid much talk.

"What happened?" Revv asked, slipping over to stand beside Castor.

"Neo didn't return to the Source. We don't know what's going to happen. There's a good chance the Matrix could crash, and none of us could survive that."

A shudder ran through the troops surrounding Revv and Castor. Castor was even more grim than usual. A flash of code caught Revv's eye.

"What was that?"

"The perimeter alarm has been set off," Castor said, checking his gun. "Get ready for a fight. And don't die this time."

Revv glared at his back, imagining a dagger in her hand…

She shook her head. Now was not the time. That would come later.

The code screamed _breach! _in a silent language. Revv ran past the main hall, where three programs lay dead. Footsteps were all around her. She came to the top of a staircase and spotted an enemy. She leapt into the air and slammed her foot into his chest, knocking him backwards down the stairs and into his companions.

She pulled a door open and ran inside, slamming the door behind her. Fumbling with her key ring, she opened it again to reveal a white hallway beyond. She shut the door and sighed with relief, sinking against a wall.

More footsteps. She got up and began to run, kicking another door open with her foot. She rounded the corner of an alley outside of the Chateau and slammed into her adversary.

"Hello, Thompson," Smith said, grinning as his hand slid into her stomach.


	9. Reincarnation

**Part Three: Revolutions**

_"I have told you before, there's no escaping the nature of the universe. It is that nature that has again brought you to me. Where some see coincidence, I see consequence. Where others see chance, I see cost."_

* * *

**Chapter One: Reincarnation**

Raindrops hit Revv's face. She opened her eyes to a dark sky. The street was empty. She sat up and looked around, and felt a cool breeze pass by, a rush of code, and the world around her altered as the Matrix slowly reloaded itself around where she sat.

"What happened?" she asked herself, climbing to her feet. She began to walk aimlessly, for minutes or hours, she never knew. Eventually she found a black cat and followed it, finding her way to a sleeping child.

"Good morning," the child said, sitting up and petting the cat.

"Hello," Revv said.

"My name's Sati. What's yours?"

"Smith…" she shook her head once, clearing it. "Revv."

"Hi, Revv."

"…Sati, do you know what happened here?"

"Smith happened."

Revv kept her temper in check. "But where is Smith now?"

Sati's eyes were wide. "They fought. And Neo lost. But he also won. Don't you remember?"

And in a flash, she did.

_ "You were right, Smith. You were always right. It was inevitable."_

_ Revv felt a surge of power and triumph as Neo was assimilated. It was over. Everything was theirs. No one could stand in their way! No one!_

_ A jolt ran through her body, stopping her thought process. What was happening?_

_ Another shock. A Smith began to glow white, rays of light bursting through his forehead._

_ "No, no, no…No, it's not fair…"_

_ A bright light surrounded Revv. A burning pain passed through her entire system, so pure and bright no one could ever survive it. White light struggled to find a way out of her body. She clenched her teeth, trying to contain it, but it burst out her ears and eyes, flooding through her sunglasses. Her entire being was the white light…the light and the pain. Revv wanted to die, she welcomed death. The pain was intense, ripping her very being apart. It was still there…still there…still there…suddenly, gone._

_ Raindrops._

"Smith is gone?"

Sati nodded. "For good."

Revv sighed in relief. "Where is everybody else?"

"Returning to their place," a new voice said. "Everything is settling down into its rightful position."

"Seraph," Revv said coolly, turning to face the man. His face remained impassive, unfeeling, as he nodded a greeting to her.

"Come, Sati," Seraph said, beginning to walk away. Revv turned and slowly walked to a door. She stepped through it, appearing back in front of the Chateau. She opened the front door and stepped inside, glancing back at the sunset, beautiful and more brilliant than ever before. Then the door swung shut and cut off all light.

"Castor."

"Revv!" the leader of the Uniques said. "You're still alive. Good."

"Yes," Revv said. "Who isn't?"

"Some programs Smith deleted during his attack. We can't find Mandrake anywhere, and Vlad has assumed his position until he can be found. Pyrite has also disappeared, as have Granite and Prime. Of course, there's no way Smith could kill Ancients, so…"

He was blathering. Revv ignored him, walking past towards where the Merovingian sat with his Twin bodyguards and the assassin Infinity.

"Sir," Infinity said softly. The Merovingian looked up.

"Revv," he greeted her. "So nice to see you again."

"What happened, sir?"

"Always to the point." The Frenchman smiled, leaning back in his large wooden seat and taking a sip from a glass of wine. "When Neo made his choice, it started an end loop in the Matrix. The Architect contacted me and ordered me to hold Neo until he could be assimilated back into the Source. But Trinity…_changed _that plan. So as the Matrix was about to crash, the machine leader lured Neo back into the Matrix, where he killed two programs with one deletion code."

"How?"

"Realizing he could never destroy Smith, Neo let Smith reprogram him, reinserting his code into the Matrix and preventing the system crash we feared. His code was combined with Smith. And we all know what one and negative one are when added together…"

Infinity smiled and stared directly into Revv's eyes. "Zero."

Prime, leader of the Ancients, surveyed the many programs seated in the ancient theater four floors above where the Merovingian sat with his loyal servants. She leaned forward, taking everyone around her into her confidence. She spoke in a slow, quiet voice. The room fell silent.

"It is time," she said simply, spreading her hands. Everyone around her nodded. "Here is our plan," she continued.

Granite took up the briefing, his deep voice echoing through the chamber. "The first strike will be the Merovingian's most loyal servants. We will have to move fast and neutralize both pairs of Twins. We've prepared a special program to capture them and hold them. This part is the most important, because if they escape, our surprise will be lost.

"Next we move our main force of vampires and Dobermen into the Unique's wing. At the same time, we will strike at the Merovingian's headquarters, hopefully catching him and Persephone unguarded.

"Any questions? No? Good. Let's move."

Alpha watched the smoke from Beta's cigarette fade into the air as the ceiling fan shredded it. He smiled slightly, the light reflecting in his glasses.

"They're coming," Theta announced from her position beside the door.

"And so it begins…" Alpha chuckled. "Everyone remember your roles. Let them think they have won…"

The four bodyguards nodded. They heard the sudden running of footsteps and the door at the end of the room burst open. Two Dobermen entered.

Theta slammed her elbow into one's throat, sending it falling back into its partner. The second Doberman growled and fired a crossbow. The bolt flew towards Theta.

The female Twin phased to avoid the bolt. It flew through her ghost form and pulled her back, slamming her into a wall. She winced in pain. The Doberman smiled evilly.

More Dobermen filled the room. Alpha threw his switchblade, knocking one of the Exiles to the ground. A click filled the air, and a crossbow bolt pinned the Twin in place.

"Go," he ordered. Beta nodded and phased, sinking through the floor.

Omega opened fire with two SMGs. The silver bullets ripped through the Dobermen forcing their way into the room. The advance all but halted. Omega grinned as her guns fired, the light from the blasts echoing in her dark eyes.

_Click._ The chambers were empty on both guns. Omega threw them to the ground and dashed forward, running directly into a vampire attempting to enter the room. She drew her sword and slashed upwards, laying him low.

She reversed the weapon and slashed out again, hitting two more rebels trying to enter the room. She glanced towards the end of the hallway and saw a group of three rebels setting up a large cannon.

They fired. For a brief moment she was illuminated against the light, standing in the doorway. Then a powerful blow knocked her backwards. She hit the floor and lay back, stunned. Her vision swam, but before it all went black, she saw Vlad enter the room.

Beta hit the ground in the floor below and began to run. Two vampires appeared from either side and began to chase him. He lashed out with a fist and caught one off guard, sending it tumbling down a staircase.

The second vampire leapt onto Beta's back. Beta increased his speed, leaping into the air. The vampire realized his mistake as Beta phased and the Exile hit the wall.

Vlad glanced around the scene.

"It's a good thing we caught them by surprise," he said calmly. The two minions standing there exchanged glances. A calm Vlad was seldom good.

The vampire leader slowly paced back and forth. "Heaven forbid that more than one of them get away!" he suddenly yelled. Nearby vampires slowly backed away.

"This drastically alters our time table," he said. "We have to keep moving. To the Unique wing. Now."

All movement stopped as Beta burst into the middle of the Unique wing's hall. 

"Checkmate," he said. Then he disappeared out the door. The hall exploded in sound as everyone began to talk. Castor shouted for silence, standing up on a chair.

"The Ancients and others have made their move," he said. "They are rebelling and attempting to kill the Merovingian. The will also come for all of us. I am taking an elite force to guard the Merovingian. The rest of you stay here."

Muttering filled the room. Castor held his hand up.

"This isn't a surprise. We've been expecting it for a long time. We've led a nice life here, out of the system's control. We are able to do what we want, when we want, as long as we follow him. But that isn't good enough for them. They want the entire pie. Your job is to shove that pie down their throat so they choke on it.

"Make them pay," he said. "Make them pay for even dreaming of trying to destroy this existence we've built with our own code."

He climbed down from his chair. With a nod, he motioned Revv to his side.

"Let's go," he said to her. They walked towards the large doors to the Chateau. Pyrite fell into step with them, as well as some other programs she had never seen before. Castor opened the portal and they walked into the Merovingian's throne room.

The Merovingian paced around the room restlessly. Persephone lay back on a chair, watching him. She spotted Revv and met her eyes, giving a single nod of acknowledgment.

There was a loud explosion from outside the room's only door.

"It's locked," the Merovingian said. "By programming. It will only let in those who I have chosen it to let in."

Fang the vampire led the charge. They burst through the doors into the Unique wing with no resistance, catching the majority of the fighters still eating at their meal. The force of rebels lifted their weapons and opened fire. The Unique diners gave no reaction at all.

Fang suddenly knew the truth.

"It's a trap!"

The illusion disappeared before him, and the doors swung shut, cutting him off from the bulk of his force. Uniques appeared from seemingly no where, shedding cloaking programming and opening fire on the vampires.

Granite calmly watched the traitor with his eyes. Her code didn't change at all as she spoke. Genuine. He nodded.

"And why are you doing this?" he said.

"I want Revv," Infinity said simply.

Revv glanced around the small room.

"Is the door coded to Infinity?" she said.

"What?" the Merovingian asked.

"Is the door coded to Infinity?" she shouted. He nodded, slowly.

Infinity placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly, letting the wooden door swing open into the Merovingian's throne room. She smiled at the shocked faces that greeted her, and the Merovingian's impassive nodding, as if he had expected to see her.

"I'm here," she smirked. "And I've brought some friends."


End file.
